This is the second interview in an ongoing series tracking CAMC’s progress in implementing Carevive’s digital cancer care solutions. Click here to read the Carevive pre-launch interview, conducted in August 2020, and stay tuned as we continue to follow CAMC’s Carevive journey.
The new Cancer Treatment Clinic at Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) went live with Carevive in September. Oncology Survivorship Program Coordinator Carrie Wines, RN, BSN, ONN-CG, describes how having access to Carevive’s entire platform of cancer care tools and services is igniting enthusiasm among the clinic’s staff, improving workflows, reducing the potential for errors, and enhancing the patient experience
Your center went live with Carevive on September 30. What has been the initial feedback from staff in the first couple of weeks post go-live?
The implementation of our new treatment clinic utilizing the Carevive platform put a “spark” in our staff. During a recent meeting to obtain feedback on Carevive Prompt, our multidisciplinary team expressed excitement about being able to provide a personalized cancer treatment plan for each patient. Although staff are still in the initial learning phases of implementing the program, feedback is positive about the way information is collected and the preparation of care plans is streamlined and customized to each patient’s needs.
CAMC is planning to use Carevive for treatment planning with new patients, including the distress and symptom management screening options. Have you had the opportunity to try this with new patients? If so, how has it changed their treatment planning experience? Do staff feel they are providing patients an improved educational experience and better-quality care plans compared to what was being done before?
Some of the distress and symptom management questions have been incorporated into the patient treatment survey, making it easier for the patient to provide information on needed services or resources. The fact that the patient can report information in real-time, and all needed educational resources can be compiled within the treatment plan is a game-changer! No longer are care team members having to search for fliers, brochures, or leaflets to include in patient packets. Many of our multidisciplinary team members have shared positive feedback that patients expressed during their appointments. For example, one patient expressed that the appointment and the individualized treatment plan made her feel more prepared for her upcoming first-dose chemotherapy appointment. It also eased her feelings of anxiety and nervousness about the appointment.
The fact that the patient can report information in real-time, and all needed educational resources can be compiled within the treatment plan is a game-changer!
You spoke previously about the desire to address barriers to care in both the treatment and survivorship phases of patients’ journeys. How has Carevive helped CAMC to fill some of those gaps?
The ease of plan creation with Carevive, in addition to implementing the treatment clinic appointment as a standard of care for our facility, has given us the opportunity to address barriers to care sooner. This has helped us catch a few barriers that would have resulted in delays in starting treatment. Previously, we relied on staff to notify the nurse navigator when treatment was completed, and human error played a part in patients falling through the cracks for survivorship planning. With Carevive, it is easy to keep track of when each patient is due for survivorship care planning.
Your team was meticulous in planning and preparing for this go-live. Although they have been very engaged, we know that sometimes unexpected things come up. Did anything unexpected occur?
Members of our care team had not previously been involved in treatment planning education as much as the clinical staff nurses, so some scheduling changes needed to be made in the teams delivering the plans. Allowing sufficient time for reviewing and editing the plans prior to delivery is still being reviewed in our workflow. An increase in patients requesting Telemed clinic visits for plan review is another unanticipated event that we are reviewing to determine how we can best accommodate in our workflow.
Your team worked diligently throughout the implementation process to prepare for go-live. What were some of the key factors that led to your team’s successful go-live? What tips can you offer other clients who are beginning implementation?
Having multiple super users has proved successful for our facility. One-third of the CAMC staff who would be using Carevive participated in our preplanning and reviewing stages of Carevive implementation. This staff involvement resulted in an efficient review of educational information being submitted into care plans. This allowed timely adjustments to be implemented by the Carevive team. These staff members were also vital on go-live day. They had a deep understanding and comfort level of using the program and were able to assist others when needed.
Do you have any stories or anecdotes to share about your center’s experience going live with Carevive?
Go-live with Carevive really was a smooth transition for our facility. All the time and effort of Carevive’s staff, in addition to our department and IT staff, ensured we were fully trained and knew what to expect with the software. This allowed us to focus on identifying barriers to care for our patients. Multiple issues that would have resulted in delays of starting chemotherapy treatment were identified and staff had ample time to get the patient back on track without having to reschedule treatments.
